Brazil Football Chief on Leave Again Amid Graft Claims
Marco Polo Del Nero, hit by US corruption charges in December, is to be replaced by Antonio Carlos Nunes de Lima, a Brazil football Federation statement said
Embattled president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) Marco Polo Del Nero is stepping down for 150 days for "personal reasons", it was announced Thursday, just one day after he returned to work from an earlier leave of absence to battle corruption allegations. (Read more football stories here)
Del Nero, hit by US corruption charges in December, is to be replaced by Antonio Carlos Nunes de Lima, a CBF statement said.
Nunes de Lima had already served as CBF leader after Del Nero stepped down temporarily in December, vowing to clear his name after being charged in the US investigation into global football corruption.
"I am unjustly accused, but that is not surprising. I defend myself with absolute certainty of my innocence," Del Nero said last month. "I have nothing to hide."
Brazilian reports said Thursday, however, that Del Nero had no plans to formally resign from his job at the pinnacle of football in Brazil.
Brazilian officials have been heavily implicated in the US probe which has plunged world governing body FIFA into the worst crisis in its history.
Both of Del Nero's predecessors at the head of the CBF, Jose Maria Marin (2012-2015) and Ricardo Teixeira (1989-2012) have been named in the investigation.
Marin has pleaded not guilty to charges including conspiracy, fraud and money laundering after appearing in a US court following his extradition from Switzerland.